ASI Orlando

I was impressed by the size and scope of the ASI show this past week in Orlando. This organization's following encompasses so many people from so many industries - it is worthy to see in person how big ASI is. There are plenty of suppliers at the centerpiece event, a trade show. Hundreds of comapnies that brought their products to hopefully "wow" attendees, who lined up and down every aisle to see what was new. I saw things I easily recognized as promo items - plenty of pens, mousepads, keychains, etc. The "expected" giveaways known to be popular in the promotional product industry. Then I saw sign companies, umbrellas, kitchen knives, high-end engraved products, and very impressive incentive gifts. There was training avaiable on the trade show floor and at breakout events happening concurrent to the vendor show. Tony Robbins, famed motivational speaker, was giving an 8 hour boot camp. Bill O'Reilly was a keynote speaker. ASI has it's own certification system, broken into two levels mirroring college achievements. The BASI (Bachelors) and MASI (Masters) track of advertising specialties competency classes were happening throughout the event. The organization of ASI's event was well done, they have a very powerful brand. It's notable to see how many of our franchisees came to participate in piggyback events we hosted at the show. We had an EmbroidMe Regional Meeting, a "messaging platform" meeting to focus and create a newer tagline and direction for the brand's advertising and a software demo for EmbroidMe franchisees. Plan Ahead Events franchisees came to see the trade show, participate in a dinner sponsored by Hilton Hotels and attend meetings for their brand. Co-branding our meetings with industry shows worked well... I would like to see us do more in this vein. The blend of experiences that occur in a short but busy few days helps franchisees and franchisor alike.

CES Day One.

It's on! After last night's keynote speech with Steve Ballmer, CES 2012 opens later this morning in Las Vegas. I'm tweeting and retweeting goodies the next few days @DaveAtUFG. Follow along, it's going to be good!

CES sans me.

First time in many years I won't be in Las Vegas for CES techno-geek-mania. But I will be following as many streams and updates as I can this next week to keep the info coming as to what's hot, what's a flop and how the industry sees things evolving for 2012. I have a few contacts there I'll be leaning on for personal updates, so expect some good stories, too. I love this time of year. Minus the bags full of brochures, USB memory sticks and my Nikon D90 full of pictures, I'll do as best as I can to keep the news interesting and fresh! Stay with me on this...

Google+ Business Pages, no rules - yet.

The release of the Google+ Business pages yesterday introduce many businesses and new users to the new kid on the social playground. Now companies, artists, performers, individuals and brands can have a page a la Facebook to spread their word. Geat and long awaited, G+  finally has relevance to the business community.

This is a big shot over the bow for Google to companies like Facebook. The intention is to woo businesses with the promise of pertinence and relevance in search. If the forecasts prove true, soon a search for "+anybusiness" should yield that company's Google Business Page. Marketing GOLD! Not just yet...

Due to reasons yet explained, anyone can setup a Google+ Business Page for any company they choose. I could be IBM or Starbucks or Sears and Roebuck. That's going to mess with the accuracy of any search until Google has a method to verify that someone from the business in question is establishing the new Business Page legitimately. When you create a Google+ Business Page, it becomes a subset of your Google+ identity. Right now, a checkbox next to a "terms of use" statement is what validates your worthiness to create such pages. Google has said that they intend to incorporate a badge system that once hovered over, would signify that this Google+ page is the real deal. So the question is, where are the badges and how was this released without them?

Yesterday when the curtain came up on this, I scrambled into manifest destiny mode to quicly capture all of our brand names and get a Google+ page up for each of our brands ASAP. At the same time, a coworker, equally connected online, was doing the same thing. Highlighting the problem at hand, we were sitting less than 25ft from each other, thinking we were both beating the world to the punch and claiming our company's valuable names on Google+. Until I posted a tweet saying the Google+ Business Pages were live and saw a tweet announcing our company's new Google+ Page (that I hadn't posted) the plan was working well. I learned as early into the launch as possible that we had both created duplicate "official" pages for SIGNARAMA, EmbroidMe, Billboard Connection and Plan Ahead Events. So anyone could have done that, too. And I thought I was on top of the whole Google+ Business Page release?

We'll eventually be able to verify by address or some neat Google means that we are the rightful creator of our brand's Google+ Business Pages. Until then, we have issues with duplicates or unauthorized copycats. I'm glad we're not in a mission-critical industry, like Homeland Security! I have faith that Google will sew it all together now that it's being discussed worldwide. They have a good set of ideas to help push this Business Page concept forward and back it up with the search results that can drive traffic to the pages. The correct, verified, authorized Business Pages.

Planning Ahead. Again.

I'm spearheading our company's efforts at our 2011 Australasian Expo this year, from the USA perspective. Honestly, the heavy lifting is being done by our experts in Australia, my role this year is to mesh what the corporate team needs to see happen with what's really occurring on the ground in Australia.  I love doing these events, I consider it like a chess match. My job is to keep a few moves ahead of the attendees and their conference experience, a few moves ahead of our USA team who will arrive and expect everything to be just right, and a few moves in front of any potential pitfalls or goof ups that could arise. Challenges include: 

• Budgeting, forecasting and paying for the event.
• Arranging the education to match with what our franchisees consider valuable.
• Putting suppliers and attendees (our customers!) needs and wants in persepective.
• Learning about the venue and possibilities from 12,000 miles away. Once I arrive, I'll have maybe a day to make changes if necessary, then it's showtime.
• Filling the event with levity and fun. I fear if I wasn't involved, it would swing to "all work, no play," not what our franchisees are looking for. Allow me to add the sugar.
• Putting together a presentation on social, mobile and trends for our attendees.
• Getting mentor shirts for everyone in our mentor program before the event. And have them arrive in Australia on time.
• Bringing all the proper goodies to make the event smooth: projectors, converters, passport, winter clothes!
• Taking too many pictures, as I'm known to do at these things.
• Arranging pertinent and fun coffee break and intro music.
• Organizing some kind of start up - launch for the event.
• Dinner with our mentor chairpersons once in Melbourne.

These things are not really all challenges, they are things I have to consider, arrange and conquer before the end of the month. Plan Ahead Events is one of our franchise brands, I'm back doing what started this concept in the first place. And I love the prospects of getting it all right.